The Hope pioneer., 1887-10-21
VALUABLE SHELLS.
How Mothcr.of-Pearl is Obtaiaed
Various Parts OF the Globe.

o" Motncrsof.Peart 10 Ohtaiaed fD
Various Parts Of the Globe.
A cargo Of about thirty-six thousand
pounds of pearl from the Philippine
Islands arrived in this city recently.
and it will no doubt soon be converted
into artistic shapes for the adornment
OF fashionable mansions. One of the
latest affectations of the wealthy is the
addition to their household gods OF
artistically executed sea and landscape
paintings in oil upon mother-of-pearl
shells. 1t is doubtful whether one Of
the hundreds who purchase them, or
five out of the thousands who admire
them in show windows on Broadway or
elsewhere, have the remotest idea that
nature formed these shells for any other
purpose than TO be used in this style Of
adornment.
A large importer of shells and
manufacturer of pearl goods, in con.
versation with reporter, expressed
astonishment at the profound ignor-
ance of so many persons in regard to
the different localities from which pearl
shells come, and the hundred and one
purposes for which they are used.
"How many kinds are there used in
your businessP" asked the reporter.
"The shells which possess CONNER
cial value are known to the trade as
the Manila, Australian, Bombay, ia.
pan, East India, Trocus, Chinese snail,
black and red ear, and Panama. Sew.
eral of these species are pearl-bearing
she'll and only obtained by professional
divers at the imminent risk of their
lives. Many of these bivalves are very
heavy, weighing sometimes eight or
ten pounds. The moment the native
gets one ashore he forces it open, and,
carefully removing the living inhabi.
tant, carefully searches for any pearl
it may contain. Not only the she'll, at
and about its hinge, but the meat OF
fish within is Thoroughly examined, lest
the pearl might be secreted, as is fire.
quently the case, in the body. This
examination over, the shells are laid
aside to dry, having first been thor
oughly cleaned. The finest shell for
manufacturing purposes comes from
the PHILIPPINE Islands and is called the
Manila. 1t ranges in price from 60 to
70 cents pound, and is used for maxi
ing dress and shirt buttons, pistol
stocks, cuff buttons, parasol and um.
brella handles, pen handles. studs and
scores of other articles. A thin veneer
ing is also made of it, which is worth
$12 a pound, and is used for inlaying
the covers of albums and fancy cabinet
work. These vencerings are fairly
dazzling with rainbow hues, aud when
lightly polished are exceedingly beau.
tiful. When we have got all these ar.
ticlcs out of the shell, there is very lit.
tic of the shell remaining"
''ls there any difficulty or danger at
tending the gathering of these shells?'
II should rather say there was.
There is one species of shell, shaped
like an ear, called tho silver and red
ear, in the sides of which are small
holes, and through these, by means Of
long suckers, tho fish fastcns himself to
rock. When the tide has pretty near.
ly run out the natives go down among
the rocks and, watching their oppor.
tunity, catch hold of the upper shell
which tho shellfish keeps open. Unless
he succeeds in the first instance in pull.
ing it from its resting-place, the aai-
NAL will close it's shell in a second and
the mans fingers will be held in vie.
like glip. In that case the unfortunate
pearl gatherer will have to stand up to
his knees in water unless he cuts off Ills
imprisoned fingers, for tho shell Gun
not be pried open, nor can three men,
with their united strength, pull his
suckers from the rock. The shell is 80
hard that it is next to impossible to
smash it. There the poor fellow is
held i'll agony until the tide rises, when,
unless he frees himself by chopping of
his finger-ends and leaving them for
the animal to dine on, he is sure to be
drowned.
"The business of pearl manufacturing
is comparatively new in this country,
and the profits are SO large that there
is tendency to monopolize the indus
try. In consequence all sorts of devices
are rcsorted to in order to obtain the
advantage. Some time ago q large
house in this city bought cargo Of
pearl shells to arrive at seventy cents
pound. While the vessel was in transit
the market fell about forty cents. II
was lucky thing for the house that
the vessel foundered off the Cape Of
Good Hope, for the concern would Ger.
tainly have foundered had the ship
come safely to port. Manufacturers
here prefer waiting for lots of pearl
shells to arrive at this port direct from
the fisheries, instead of ordering from
London. knowing that the shells arc
assorted there and the choicest picked
out for the EnglisI, aud French mar.
kets, There are several large manu-.
factories of pearl work in Newark,
Philadelphia. Germantown and in this
city, and since the establishment OF
this industry here the Importation OF
pearl buttons from England has greatly
fallen off."-M r Commercial Adver.
tiser.